Dear, Poseidon
by DiamondintheDark
Summary: Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**I've always wondered what was the relationship like between Sally Jackson and Poseidon. I mean, we all know bits and pieces of it from Percy, but what was it really like? My take on the love story that started it all. Let me know what your thoughts are, thanks!**

**alidei**

_

* * *

___ _Dear Poseidon_

Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.

* * *

_Chapter 1 (Prologue)_

He had offered her a place in the ocean. He had offered a palace that would be built for her, for a queen. In his eyes, she was everything he loved. Yes, he loved Amphitrite, but she was different. Not just because she was a mortal, not just because she could see through the Mist, but because she was unique.

Poseidon, god of the sea and horses, the Earth shaker, was in love with a mortal named Sally Jackson.

She loved him. She loved him through and through. But they had to part. She felt saddened by this, and when he had offered her a life in the ocean, she was heavily tempted to say yes. Is it every day where you get proposed by the god of the ocean to live with him in his palace?

Then she thought about it. She wanted to be independent, yes. She also wanted to be with him. It was a one or the other decision. When she chose, she weighed life against love. In the end, she chose life. Her decision had torn both of them, but she stood her ground, no matter how hard she was breaking inside.

Every day, she remembered that day. She remembered his heart broken face, and how he tried to compose himself afterwards. But Poseidon's façade was too easy to see. He hugged her, buried his head in her short, cropped brown hair, and when he left, his scent lingered. She cried. He moped.

From that day, when they parted, she wrote a letter to him. They could no longer continue what they had, she told him. But he could still love her. And almost every day, Sally Jackson would write. She would write to the love she had met in the park. And every time she wrote to him, she would go to the beach, to the ocean, and place the letter in the waters. She knew he would receive it.

And received it he did. Whenever Delphinus would come to tell him that a letter was found at the Montauk beach, his face would light up, like a child when they got their favorite toy. When he read it, he would smile, knowing that she still loved him, but she lived the way she wanted to live. Amphitrite would glare at the letter coldly, but Poseidon didn't care. Every time she wrote, he would learn more about her.

When she wrote about their parting, he would get tears in his eyes. When she announced she was pregnant, he smiled, and then remembered the horrors he had just placed upon this unborn child. Poseidon would drop his head in shame. He was a criminal. A criminal in love.

When she married some mortal named Gabe, he would sigh unhappily. He figured out why she had done it- to protect the child Poseidon had sealed the fate of. But when she finished the letters, she always ended the same.

_I love you, no matter what._

This is Dear Poseidon


	2. Chapter 2: The First Letter

**I have to admit, I logged into my email today to find my inbox filled with a lot of really positive emails from Fanfiction. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my last chapter. It really means a lot to me.**

**To all those who added this story to their alerts/favs or added me to their author alerts/favs**: _LaDeDa (); allieapollo; DIGIFAN99; jahfreenalam; Percy Jackson Rulez_

**Let me know what your thoughts are, thank you.**

**alidei**

* * *

_Dear Poseidon_

Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.

* * *

**_Chapter One_**

"Sally, please, do consider it." Poseidon begged. "I love you."

Would it have been known that the Sea God was ready to fall on his knees and cry to the whole world that he was in love with Sally Jackson, a mortal? Probably not. But right now, right here, in the quaint park in Manhattan, he was ready to do so.

Sally Jackson shook her head. How she wanted to say yes! Living with the man- er, god- she loves in his underwater palace? The offer was so tempting. But she couldn't. She wanted to live her life independently, without relying on others, especially Poseidon. She loved the guy, but she wanted to follow her heart.

Poseidon watched the mortal women around them, giggling and pointing in hushed voices. No doubt it'd look like he was going to propose to Sally. But that could never happen. Amphitrite would be beyond fury with him. Triton, too. 'Sides, he wasn't the one that went around hooking up with women. That was Zeus' area. No wonder Hera wasn't too fond of her husband.

Sally pressed her lips together. A small crease furrowed between her eyebrows. After pondering for a minute more, she sighed.

"I'll tell you tomorrow."

Poseidon nodded. "Montauk, then."

She nodded, her eyes looking everywhere but him.

He glanced at her once more, and walked out of the park. He walked to the nearest beach- Montauk, surprisingly. The very place where he and Sally had first confessed to each other that they liked each other. So much has changed since that fateful day, one month ago. Back then, he didn't much about offering her a place to live with him in the ocean. Now, he was hoping that she would answer yes and live with him underwater.

Stupid, stupid! He scolded himself as he dived into the water when no one was looking. You're a monster. You just practically forced a human girl to leave her life behind for you. What were you thinking? You are just as stupid, ignorant, and selfish as the men who roamed the world today.

What exactly does Amphitrite see in you? A little voice in the back of his head whispered. She probably sees absolutely nothing. As he swam past schools of fish and was greeted by 'Hello, lord!' all around, he couldn't help thinking- maybe, just maybe, the little voice was correct. Amphitrite was often fussy nowadays; what could possibly have driven her to marry him? Even so, if that was the case, would Sally accept his offer?

Probably not.

Poseidon sighed. Being the god of the sea had its benefits, but right now, he wished that the Fates would will his life to fit perfectly, like little pieces of a puzzle, instead of jumbled thoughts and facts all around.

Like always, when he left, his scent would dance around in the air. One day, she told him that he smelled like seaweed, salt, and fish mashed together. Of course, right after that her hand flew to her mouth, horrified she had said such a thing. Poseidon had just laughed it off.

Sally sighed, whirled on her heels, and walked back in the direction of her cheap apartment.

"Hey lady!" a few drunk, older men whistled and called out to her. She ignored them and quickened her pace. She didn't stop until she slammed the door shut and heard the satisfying _click_. Sally didn't even realize she was holding her breath until it escaped her.

_The problem about being a mortal_, she thought. _Is that you're no god who can incarnate people within a minute or so._

She changed into baggy clothes and sat on the thing she called a couch. As people scrambled outside to get to their cars to go home for the day, Sally Jackson pondered on what would probably be the most important decision of her life.

* * *

"Hey." Poseidon turned around. Standing before was none other than Sally Jackson, who was attempting to avoid chewing her nails but failing miserably.

He nodded. "Hey."

She sat next to him on the sand. Today, the sun was hidden behind the clouds, matching their moods perfectly. A small breeze ran by them, and she shivered.

"Here." He handed her a jacket. She shook her head, and he rolled his eyes- _something I taught him_, Sally thought proudly- at her stubbornness. "Sally, you'll get sick. Just take it." He stared at her, challenging her to refuse.

She purposely avoided looking into his eyes. She knew that if she looked, or even took a simple glance, she would reconsider her decision. Sighing, she held out her hand, and he placed the coat into it.

_Must have been brought out of nowhere_, she thought unhappily.

"Sally?" His voice shook her out of her thoughts. She blinked twice rapidly, then remembered why she was here. He motioned her to start.

"Oh. Oh, right." She drew in a deep breath. How should she say it without hurting him or his feelings? Would he destroy her because she is refusing his offer? What would his reaction be?

_Shut up_, she told herself. _He loves you, and hopefully he'll understand your choice. After all, it's not like your life has been made to be a fairytale._

"I…I'm declining your offer, Poseidon." She spoke quickly, as if he would understand if she rushed through it fast.

For a split second, she watched the sea god's face drop, and then it was wiped off just as fast as it had shown. "It's okay, Sally."

She shook her head rapidly. "No, no, it's not. I mean, I love you and all, but I want to live my life independently. I don't want to- wait, correction- I don't _need_ to rely on other people. I'll always love you no matter what, but I- I just…"

After a painful and awkward silence, he spoke quietly, loud enough for her to hear. "I understand. I love you, too."

At that moment, tears filled up in Sally's eyes, and she quickly hugged him. He hugged her back, and she felt his head bury itself in her short, cropped brown hair. She's always hated her hair. It was never pretty enough, never soft enough, and it certainly wasn't attractive enough. Somehow, though, it attracted Poseidon. He always played with her hair so many times whenever they met.

Poseidon felt like crying. Or, at least, dropping the façade he held that he knew Sally could see through. He couldn't compose himself much longer. He inhaled her scent, remembering it forever, and slowly, very slowly, he released himself from her arms. She looked down, and he knew she was just as miserable about as he was.

He didn't turn around to look at her one last time. Seeing her face would tear him down even more than it already was. Instead, he simply walked away into the waters, and disappeared.

The minute he was gone, Sally sprinted back to the apartment, her tears falling out of her eyes as she ran. People stopped and stared at her. Who was this strange girl running from the beach? She looked nowhere close to a teenager, more like a person in their mid- twenties. But with her hair, she probably looked 27 years old; despite the fact she was 23.

When she got back into her apartment, she broke down and cried. For the next few days, she would hardly move from the couch, only leaving to go to the bathroom, or cook something for her to eat. The tissue boxes became her new favorite companion, and she purposely wore anything but the color blue. Blue was _his_ favorite color.

Down below the water level, a certain god swam aimlessly around the ocean. Poseidon had no destination in mind, he just wanted some alone time to straighten his thoughts out. _It's for the best_, he told himself. For the best.

* * *

One week later, Sally got up from the couch. Finally, some sense had found its way back to her. She continued living life like she did before Poseidon, but she couldn't help wondering about him. What was he doing? Was he crying, like her? Probably not. He's a god. Gods probably don't cry. Do they?

_Yes, they do. _

Sally jumped. What? She turned around frantically, a wild look in her eyes. "I'm positive I heard someone…" she mumbled.

_Yes, you did._

"I must be hearing things." She groaned, and brushed her hair back into a somewhat ponytail. Was this what you experience after you break up with a guy you're totally and completely in love with?

_Nope. Just call 1-800-call us now. That's 1-800-call us now. If you call within the next twenty minutes, we'll double your offer-_

Oh. My. God. It was the TV. Sally had left it on without knowing it. She wanted to slap herself right now. She was about to turn the TV off when she saw what was being advertised. Paper. For writing letters.

_For keeping in touch_, the sane part of her brain spoke. She stood there for about one minute before she ran to grab her purse and jacket. She slammed the door, and ran down to the busy streets of Manhattan. She walked around for about 10 minutes before she found the nearest scrapbooking store.

"Hello, miss." A young man greeted her. Oddly, he had really puffy rosy cheeks that made him look like a pig, and it painfully reminded Sally of how Poseidon looked like when he was starting to run out of oxygen. Yes, gods needed oxygen to breathe too.

"Hi. Do you have any stationary paper that's ocean-related?"

The young man was taken back at bit. Yes, they did have stationary paper, but ocean-related? That was a bit of an odd request. He looked at the young woman in front of her. _Probably early-twenties,_ he mused. Old enough to have a boyfriend, even. Maybe not, though. Maybe she'd be interested in him…

_Stop it._ He said to himself. _This is a mortal customer, not a snack- I mean, a food. Uh- _

"I'll search for one, sweet thang." He smiled his most attractive seductive smile and walked toward the storage compartment. He looked around for a few minutes before finding a pack of 20 sheets of oceanic paper. He walked back to the young woman, who was nervously biting her teeth.

"Here you go, babe." Seriously, what was with the mortal language now? It was much easier and simpler in the 1800s. Now, he had to be like the Greek prostitutes. Not that he minded them; he dearly loved those lust-filled moments in the bed with beautiful girls, but now he had to talk oddly to get a girl to notice him.

"Th-thanks." The young woman watched him warily before slowly and cautiously reaching her hand forward. She grabbed the paper before jerking her hand back in a blink of an eye. He was shocked. Where had that came from? The girl couldn't possibly-

No, she probably couldn't.

Sally knew the minute she started talking that this ordinary looking young man was, in fact, a monster. It was obvious. And, the sight was so revolting and horrifying. She tried to remember what Poseidon had said about the certain monsters that prey on humans as well, but her mind was so fuzzy she couldn't think straight.

"It'll be $3.50,lovely."

Sally mutely handed over the money, then thought twice and dumped the cash onto the counter and ran out as fast as she came in.

* * *

_Fool,_ the boy thought. The girl could see. That would explain it. She could see through the Mist. Idiot! He told himself.

He'd have to be more careful. If there were more of these mortals that could see through the Mist and realize who he was, then they'd all be in trouble. All of them in the America country.

Just then, the phone rang.

"Winged Boar Scrapbooking, this is Chrys speaking." **(1)**

"Hey, bro. 'Sup."

Chrys snorted. "You don't need to sound like those idiots, Peg."

"Look who's talking." Peg snapped back.

Chrys rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Why are you calling?"

"Has that son of Hermes shown his face yet?"

"No, not yet, Peg."

"Listen, I just received his coordinates on where he is."

That got Chrys' attention. "What? That brat of Hermes is actually risking to show his face?"

"Yup. According to this map, I'm pretty sure the kid's gonna be there in about ten minutes, tops. Whatd'ya think?"

Chrys grinned. "Great, man. I'll meet him at that Manhattan forest, near to the Underworld entrance. Think the kid knows that?"

"Pretty sure he does. At least, that's where he's heading."

"Great."

"Yup."

"Peg, I'll meet you there. You, on the other hand, look out for my car."

"Chrys, you're my brother, but I really don't understand why you're in love with a Honda Civic."

"Dude, the 1988 Honda Civic is the best car out there! What's not to like!" Chrys argued.

"Later man."

"Wimp."

* * *

Peg hung up. He wanted to man-handle the kid, too. But right now, he had to see his dear father Poseidon about the number of brothers and sisters he had now. Including the annoying young foal named Blackjack. Who named the foal that?

I deserve to name them, after all. Peg thought bitterly. Chrysaor gets to hog all the fun with the demigods. Poseidon gets to have new foals all the time. And Peg? He gets thrown aside.

Angrily, Pegasus opened his wings on a New York building, and flew off in the direction of the ocean.

* * *

Fifthteen minutes later, Pegasus' brother Chrysaor was losing a deadly battle with Gus, so of Hermes.

"Not so fast are you now, Chrys?" Gus sneered, sweat rolling off his face.

"We'll see who's still standing, demigod." Chrysaor snarled. Finally. He finally got to fight the insolent demigod again in this life period. But he knew he was losing this battle rapidly. With his last effort, he attempted a suicidal launch at the 16 year old boy, and died.

Gus smiled. His quest was over. With Chrysaor finally defeated for this lifetime, he could take his prize. He walked over the remains of Chrysaor's 1988 Honda Civic when his foot caught on something. He tripped palms forward.

"What the-?" In the dim evening sun, Gus could barely recognize the outline of a pair of fuzzy dice. Fuzzy dice? Chrysaor was insane already, but fuzzy dice? Come on.

Gus smiled. "I'll put it on a bronze plaque." He said. "That way, everyone will know that it was I who defeated the oh-so-great Chrysaor, the winged boar son of Poseidon and Medusa, brother of the great Pegasus."

I'll put it in the attic of the Big House, he decided. Next to all the other famous objects and prizes of other demigods. I'll make my name there. Even if it is in front of that dusty Oracle.

He shivered. Just thinking of the Oracle was creepy already.

And on that cheerful note, he walked back in the direction of Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

Sally rarely felt pure terror. Just now in the store was one of those moments. A monster living so close to her. What was she thinking?

_I was thinking about a letter and Poseidon,_ she thought.

She got out a pen Poseidon had given her on their three-week anniversary, took out a sheet of paper, and began to write.

_Dear Poseidon,_

_I don't know why I'm doing this. It just feels… right, I guess. Honestly, I'm terribly sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anything. I just want to live my life dependently. Yes, I know, I already told you this, but I feel like I need to tell you once more just to get it into that your thick headed watery brain. I hope this doesn't offend you._

_I don't know what you're doing right now. I don't know what you're feeling like if you do read this letter. The idea of writing to you came to me from a commercial advertising paper. I went to the nearest scrapbooking store to buy paper with an oceanic design on it. I hope you like it. I thought that the dolphins looked like your lieutenant, Delphinus. You said to me once that he is the god of dolphins. I never got to meet him, but may you please tell him hello for me? I'd like to die one day knowing that at least I know the god of dolphins, even if we never formally met._

_I really don't know what else to say. But I still want to say that I still love you, no matter what. Even when you have a fit and drown half of Florida, even when you are wild and crazy, I still love you. Do you know why, Poseidon? _

_Because you are _my_ god of the ocean. When you are angry, I am angry. When you are sad, I follow the same. When you cry tears, my tears will fall just as fast. I will walk to the Montauk beach from my cheap apartment, and I will place this letter gingerly on the water. All I pray is that it will find its way to you, and when you read this, I pray that you are (hopefully) not hurting. I do not know. After all, I'm just a mortal; you're a god. My lifeline is tender compared to yours. You will live forever. I shall not. But that's alright. Because I have a special preference for a certain god._

_I'll always love you, no matter what._

_Love, _

_Sally J._

* * *

"Lord Poseidon."

Poseidon looked up. Before him swam Delphinus, his expression blank. Poseidon raised an eyebrow.

"I have found a letter at the Montauk beach. It is addressed to you, sir, from a Sally Jackson. Do you wish for me to discard it or not?" Delphinus chirped.

Poseidon's face lit up. Sally. A letter from her. She wrote to him! A smile broke onto the god's face. He nodded feverishly.

"Delphinus, do bring it forth. I would very much like to read it."

"Yes, lord!" Delphinus swam back to Montauk beach.

Next to Poseidon, Amphitrite stiffened. Sally Jackson. A _her_. A mortal, no doubt. Just when everything was starting to settle down peacefully, her dear husband had to find a mortal woman to talk to. The familiar pang of jealously struck Amphitrite's heart. She instantly decided that she despised this woman. If this woman made Poseidon happy after days of depression, the woman should leave. Yes, Amphitrite loved her husband much more when he was happy, but did it have to take a mortal girl? Of all gods? Not even his wife, Amphitrite?

When Delphinus returned, Poseidon eagerly grabbed the letter. He read through the letter as fast as it had taken Delphinus to deliver it, and when Poseidon was finished, a genuine smile broke onto his face. Sally still loved him. She still loved him that she wrote.

At that moment, he didn't care that Amphitrite had swam off in a huff. He didn't care that Delphinus was staring at the god oddly. He didn't care that a mortal had just drowned off the coast of Mexico. At that point in time, the god of the ocean was really strangely giddy.

* * *

Above the water line, Sally went back to her apartment, feeling relieved that a heavy burden was lifted off of her chest. However, just as she walked through the doorway, she collapsed onto the couch, a very painful feeling weaving its way through her abdomen.

* * *

**(1) That little very random off topic plot about these guys named Gus, Pegasus, and Chrysaor? It was mentioned (I think) in the Last Olympian that there was a pair of fuzzy dices in the attic of the Big House at Camp Half Blood with the inscription plate that they were acquired by some boy named Gus. I don't really know what possessed me to incorporate them in here, the chapter just wrote itself :)**

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3: I'm Pregnant? pt 1

**I do want to give out a little warning: it takes a long time for me to update. Unfortunately, I cannot update as frequent as I wish. **

**Thank you to everybody who ended up filling me with a huge bucketful of giddiness. The emails kept coming in and in. **

**To all those who added this story to their alerts/favs or added me to their author alerts/favs:** _DiamondDragonFang-Pertemis ; clashgrrl; CedricHarryEdward; allieapollo; liliesandroses; andy ();general zargon;__TwilightRulz11; April Mayz; SmartKookie; CoolWater123; Mistflyer1102; Snowstar The awesome; Great Story (); cookiemonstergirl; jahfreenalam; charmdiva; iBubble; AmyIanForever; twilightsaga1918; __VampireloverD; SailorSea_

**I'd like to give out a shout out to **_allieapollo_** whose insight really helped me see the points in the last chapter that wasn't that well written or easily understood. Hopefully this chapter won't be too confusing.**

**Seriously, thank you.**

**alidei**

* * *

_Dear Poseidon_

Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

Two weeks later, Sally Jackson found herself at a clinic she regularly attended whenever she felt any physical pain. Dr. Forearm was writing down onto a clipboard, filling in information Sally had reported to her.

Sally looked around the room. She really didn't know what it was that had caused her to pass out two weeks earlier. All she remembered from that day was waking up with a splitting headache, for some reason. She told an older woman at her workplace about it for advice, but all she got in return was a coupon to a lousy restaurant named "Aunty M's Garden Emporium". Luckily, since she wasn't dyslexic and could see through the Mist, Sally left the place just as fast as she had arrived. She didn't bother wondering how her coworker could have a coupon to a death hole; the place alone was creep already.

"Mmhm…" Dr. Forearm muttered, her brow wrinkled in concentration. She seemed heavy in thought. Sally felt really uneasy at this point. She waited five painful minutes before Dr. Forearm's frail head snapped up, and startling vibrant violet eyes met hers. In fact, Sally has never seen Dr. Forearm's eyes before. For some reason, it's a bit hard to see her eyes- oh. The Mist.

Wait, Dr. Forearm? Wasn't her specialist Dr. Ag or something? Since when did the clinic have a person by the name of Dr. Forearm? Why didn't Sally realize this earlier?

"Um… Dr. Forearm?" Sally said slowly. Now that she realized it, Dr. Forearm seemed really… out of place. Not in tune with the clinic's standard neutral color scheme. Dr. Forearm donned bright, flashing colors, colors that hurt Sally's eyes when she looked at them.

"Hm? Oh, yes, dear Sally Jackson. Right. Sorry sweetie, I must have forgotten." Dr. Forearm continued mumbling some other words under her breath. Sally strained her ears, but could hear nothing.

Then, as if someone- or some_thing_- invisible had whacked her on the head, Dr. Forearm straightened up. "Sorry. Let's me see… and you say you've been experiencing-"

"Yes," Sally said, exasperated. Dr. Forearm has already asked her this what… three times already?

"Then then most plausible explanation I can extract is, my dear, that you're pregnant."

Sally couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

"P-Pregnant?" she stuttered, her eyes wide with shock. "How- what-"

Dr. Forearm took off her large, round glasses and stared at Sally Jackson with a gaze so intense Sally felt a tremendous urge to look away, but something inside her told her she should defiantly stare back.

"Hear me, Sally Jackson, whom will bear the son of Poseidon," Dr. Forearm spoke quietly. "My name, Forearm, is a warning to you, that in which you should take great notice of. This child of yours, this son of the Big Three, will not live a pure and happy life. You have taken a far too great risk, and if not responsible enough, your child will die before his sixteenth birthday. Mark my words, Sally Jackson; you have sealed your son's fate."

* * *

**O_o... haha jk :)**

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4: I'm Pregnant? pt 2

**To **_andy_**, in your review you said to check my spelling… I want to say that I use Microsoft Word to type my stories. But if you are referring to Dr. Ag or Dr. Forearm, I'd like to put out that their names are spelled correctly. Ag is the chemical name for silver, and forearm means warning. **

**To all those who added this story to their alerts/favs or added me to their author alerts/favs: **_Melbel10; lunersheza; xXPercidiaJacksonXx; DiamondDragonFang-Pertemis; NoraHalliwell; CoolWater123; ilovethesonshine; jahfreenalam; LoveTheNight; xx Annabella Princess xx; hulagirlnot; andy ();__Kassandra1407; puppyeyes2003; SmartKookie; BabyYou'reAllThatIWant__; Goddess of Discord and Cookies; xSilverTeardropx3; BiteMe21_

* * *

_Dear Poseidon_

Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.

* * *

_**Previously on Chapter Two of Dear Poseidon,**_

"_Then then most plausible explanation I can extract is, my dear, that you're pregnant."_

_Sally couldn't move, couldn't breathe. _

"_P-Pregnant?" she stuttered, her eyes wide with shock. "How- what-"_

_Dr. Forearm took off her large, round glasses and stared at Sally Jackson with a gaze so intense Sally felt a tremendous urge to look away, but something inside her told her she should defiantly stare back. _

"_Hear me, Sally Jackson, whom will bear the son of Poseidon," Dr. Forearm spoke quietly. "My name, Forearm, is a warning to you, that in which you should take great notice of. This child of yours, this son of the Big Three, will not live a pure and happy life. You have taken a far too great risk, and if not responsible enough, your child will die before his sixteenth birthday. Mark my words, Sally Jackson; you have sealed your son's fate."_

There was no words that could have been used to describe the shock and horror Sally Jackson felt. A swirl of emotions flew around her. A million questions cluttered her mind. Pregnant? A son of Poseidon? Fate?

What?

Suddenly, a bright flash occurred, and Sally had to look away to block the brightness of the blast. When she had removed her hand from her eyes, in front of her no longer stood Dr. Forearm and her violet eyes, but her real specialist, Dr. Ag. For a minute, Dr. Ag blinked ferociously, confusion written all over her face and silver eyes. Then, just as fast as she had appeared, Dr. Ag's face was once again covered by her usual calm look that Sally couldn't stand.

"Oh! Sally dear! How are you, darling? Are you well?" Dr. Ag threw the questions upon Sally rapidly. Sally didn't respond, just stared at the doctor in shock. Did Dr. Ag just… appear out of nowhere? What happened to Dr. Forearm? How did Dr. Forearm know about Sally's short relationship with Poseidon? How would she know about the time they got caught in a- forget that one. How did she know that it would be a boy? What did she mean by the boy will be dead before his sixteenth birthday? How could Sally have sealed her son's fate? Sally couldn't possibly have a child, much less a son. She could barely pay for herself using her hard earned money from work, so how would she be able to support another person?

"Sally?" Dr. Ag's soothing voice broke Sally out of her jumbled thoughts. "Are you alright, dear?"

Sally nodded quickly. "Y-yes, Dr. Ag. I'm… perfectly fine."

Dr. Ag studied her. "Okay, sweetie. Don't be afraid to give me a holler, mm? It's been so eerie here at this old clinic…"

Sally watched Dr. Ag, a stout, wide elderly woman, bustle around the room. Sally couldn't help but wonder if what happened with Dr. Forearm and the flash had to do anything with the things Poseidon had told her about the gods and their real godlike forms. How the blast was so intense that if you hadn't averted your eyes, you'd be incinerated. But that couldn't be possible… could it? The only people who knew about her relationship with Poseidon were her and him. How could others have found out?

By the time Sally had snapped out of her reverie, the small clock on the wall read 2:13pm. Huh. She took much longer than she'd expected. Muttering a quick good bye to Dr. Ag, Sally gathered her belongings and walked out into the bustling walkways of dear ol' Manhattan.

Sally walked around until she found a small payphone booth. She didn't have a cell phone; she thought the need for it was quite slim in her case, and the phone bill would be too high for her eyes to meet. So she settles with the payphones. When she walked in, though, she froze. Who would she call? Why did she even walk here? It was as if her mind had frozen in time. Passerby strangers noticed this young, strange woman, standing frozen in the booth. One man even confronted her, asking her if she needed assistance, but with a simple wave of her hand, he strutted off with his usual business. Eventually, though, Sally knew she would have to leave.

Just as she turned around, Sally's mind continued working enough for her to realize who she'd have to call- her boss. She bit her lip, nervously. How would she tell her boss- a cross woman with no expression of feelings to humanity- that her absence at work was because she found out she was pregnant? She'd probably be fired, if she wasn't already.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Sally chanted under her breath. What in the world caused her to forget such an important detail? What kind of grown up, adult employee would be absent from work one day, without any future notice whatsoever? Sally felt like a piece of seaweed; a pretty dumb one, too.

As fast as her fingers allowed her to, Sally dialed her boss. For the terrifying three seconds she had to wait, she nearly freaked out when she realized it was her boss' secretary who answered.

"Disney Hyperion Books Publishing Company, who is this speaking?"

"Mary." Sally sighed in relief. Mary was about her age, more or less, and was pregnant with a girl. "Thank god."

On the other end, Mary frowned. Who was this woman talking to her on the phone? How could she have known her name?

When Sally realized that Mary had not responded, Sally felt like smacking herself on the head. Of course. She hadn't told who it was speaking. "M-Mary. It's… it's me, Sally Jackson. Um, I'm kinda calling in to-"

"Sally? Where were you today? The boss was- wait, no- is _pissed_. You better have a good excuse, or-"

"Mary, I'm pregnant." Sally interrupted.

There was a little silence that fell between the two young mothers. It seemed like decades before Mary spoke. "Boy… or girl?"

"Boy." Sally breathed out.

Mary smiled, even though Sally couldn't hear nor see it. "How many months?"

Sally froze. She didn't know what to say. Dr. Forearm, whoever she is was, had told her nothing but that the baby was a boy. If the gender was known, wouldn't that be three or four months? Something like that?

_No_, her rational side of the brain broke in. If it really was three or four months, you'd have noticed. But you look normal, no bulging belly, just that pain that you collapsed from. Other than that, you're fine.

She'd have to lie, and wear extremely poufy clothing to make it look like she really was pregnant.

"Five." She decided. "Five months already."

"Five?" Mary shrieked. Sally winced at the loudness. "Wouldn't you have noticed? At five months, I was already quite round, and-"

"That's the thing." Sally argued. "I just thought it was because I was eating too much, and, and, and getting fat, or… you know. I just visited the doctor today to make sure I wasn't deathly ill."

Mary paused, taking it all in. She couldn't retort back, what Sally said was quite true, before Mary knew she was pregnant, she kept thinking it was because she was getting obese, which was impossible. Even Mary's friends said the exact same things.

Sally held her breath. If Mary didn't believe her, she'd have to-

"I believe you." Mary said quietly. "But when the boss asks, you're going to have to wait until he's done. That's what I did. Don't worry; he loves kids and babies, so he'll be nicer and friendlier to you."

"Thank god, I was so close to tearing my hair out."

Mary smiled, and then winced. Sally heard her friend wince.

"Mary? You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just… I felt a kick."

Sally squealed, feeling not her usual self. It had been so long since she spoke about girly issues like this with another female that the feeling was so alien-like to her, and she sure wasn't planning on giving it up just yet.

"Mary! That's wonderful!"

"I know! My baby girl's telling me she loves her mommy!"

At about the time Sally was going to speak, another voice was heard. "Mary! Unless it is your fiancé, I demand that you hand over that phone to me right now!"

Mary's voice trembled, all happiness replaced with fear. "Yes, sir."

Just as she handed the phone to the Boss, she whispered. "Bye Sally. Good luck."

Sally whispered a good bye back as fast.

"Now," the Boss started. "Who is this that kept my secretary Mary talking about female issues, may I ask?"

"It's-" Sally's throat felt dry. She gulped quietly, and answered her boss. "Sally Jackson, sir."

"SALLY JACKSON WHERE THE **** WERE YOU TODAY!" Sally scowled; no need to lay a cuss word on her. "THIS IS LIFE, YOUNG LADY, AND IF ONE REPORTS TO WORK LATE, THEY ARE FIRED! DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

"Yes, sir." Sally's voice sounded like a tiny mouse's squeak compared to the Boss' rants. "It's just that I-"

"DON'T TRY TO SWEET TALK ME! I KNOW WHAT WOMEN ARE CAPABLE OF, AND LET ME ASSURE YOU, I KNOW WHAT MEN CAN DO AS WELL! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN DO, SALLY JACKSON?"

Without waiting for a feeble reply, he continued.

"I CAN FIRE YOU! I CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR PAYCHECK! I CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR HOME! I CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR LIFE-LONG DREAM! WRITING A BOOK, HUH? YOU CAN'T WRITE A BOOK IF YOU GOT NO MONEY! NO FUTURE! NO CAREER! NO-"

"Sir," she spoke quickly. "I was absent because I had to visit the doctor. I'm pregnant, sir."

It was a full three minutes until the Boss found his voice, feeling terribly guilty. "Oh. I'm sorry, girl. My dear apologizes. I- I didn't know. Forget everything I just said, okay sweet peach? But you must tell me, why hadn't you called in? I mean- oh, never mind. You're pregnant. Hmm. Well. Um… take today off."

Sally blinked in shock. "W-what? Take today off? But sir-"

He waved her off. "Nonsense. I remember when my wife became pregnant. Bless her soul. I fought with her boss to make sure she had the day off. Cost me some, but it was worth it."

By now, young Sally Jackson didn't have the heart to remind the old man that his wife had died years ago, through childbirth. Instead, she sufficed with a quick thanks.

"No need to thank me, Sally Jackson. You're pregnant. Enjoy the day out, 'cause it sure is gonna be a wild ride for you for the rest of your life."

_No kidding_, she thought. She hung up, and as she spun around, a man in a large, dark brown trench coat stood on the other side of the door. She flushed. Great. He probably heard every single word she spoke. Not to mention she took an awful long time in there. She opened the door, and tried to walk out.

"Sir? Sorry, I've taken so long. Truly sorry, but may I please walk through?"

The man turned around. With a quick motion of his hand, he flashed her. She turned her head around, feeling repulsive at the sight of a nude man. Instinctively, her hand inched toward the pepper spray she kept in her bag. By the time she had it out in her hand, the man noticed her reaction, and quickly buttoned up his trench coat, and fled from her.

Sally glared at the direction he had taken. The world is a dangerous place, indeed. She remembered back to when Poseidon had spoken to her of ancient Greece.

"_Beautiful place, ancient Greece. There weren't many wars; civilization was simple, not complex like todays'. But… there is something that I could only find here, in this world."_

"_Hmm? And what would that be?" Sally pressed him, her head on his shoulder as they watched the sun set. _

_Poseidon turned and faced the most beautiful woman he's ever known since he met Amphitrite. Sally Jackson didn't know that she was gorgeous. She kept belittling herself of it, and Poseidon kept correcting her. With his hand, he cupped her chin, and turned her to face him. He could notice the surprise and joy in her eyes, and knew that her emotions about her were mirroring of his. He only spoke one word._

"_You." _

_And he kissed her, slowly and smooth. _

Reflecting on that memory, Sally's hand went expertly to her cheek, as she had done so many times. Even with him gone, she could still feel the ghost of the kiss lingering on her cheek. She couldn't help it; Poseidon was so smooth and romantic when it comes to her attention.

She was caught, she realized. Caught in a net. A net of love.

Sally always knew she really _liked_ Poseidon, but she didn't know that she _loved_ the Sea God. Her walk to her apartment faltered; someone bumped into her, but she didn't notice.

_It can't be…_ she thought. _I love Poseidon…?_

To herself, it was more of like a question than a statement or proclamation.

By the time she got back home, she fed herself a cold bowl of noodles and checked her email. Nope. The boss had stuck to his word. There was no "You're fired" email hidden in her inbox. Instead, there was a congratulations email from Mary. Sally scanned the email hungrily, and by the time she finished, she felt like she was not as alone.

The next morning, Sally woke to the rare sounds of birds chirping. It was quite queer, but Sally dismissed it.

_How odd_, she thought.

After eating a quick breakfast, Sally sat down, a piece of paper in her hand. Ten minutes until she'll have to go to work. Five minutes of a walk. Eh, that'll work; Sally writes fast when she wants to.

It didn't take too long for Sally to figure out what she'll write to Poseidon about.

* * *

_Dear Poseidon, _

_I know you had received the last letter, because an awfully cute dolphin had swam up to the surface to take the letter. I hope you've forgiven me for refusing; two weeks might seem like a blink of an eye to you, but is terribly dragging for me. _

_I want to tell you that everything is going fine with me. I want to tell you that my boss nearly fired me yesterday evening. I want to tell you that I've made a new friend, one I can confide in when it comes to certain issues regarding females. They're all things I want to tell you, and I am. Yet there's another. Another issue I need to let you hear of._

_Poseidon, you've told me of the pact between you and your brothers. You told me that the three of you forbade each other to not have any affair with mortals. If that is the case, why had you confronted me? My life's forever changed, thanks to you, but don't get the wrong idea- I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm feeling quite the alternate. Do you know why?_

_Because... I think- wait, no, that's the wrong way of putting it. Because I know something now. I learned something yesterday, when I visited my doctor. And… I don't know if you have ever felt it, but I sure did last night. I think… I mean, I know… that I love you. I probably had said this in my last letter, but that's because I wasn't sure. Now, I am sure. I do know that I truly love you, Poseidon. It's just new to me. A new concept, loving someone, is new to me._

_However, you may be wondering why I was at the doctor's yesterday. You may not like it very much, but I do. In fact, I love it. _

_My god of the Seas, our fates may have never meant to have connected, but there is no turning back. Don't bother trying to send something to remind me of you, I'll have it all here in a few months. _

_Poseidon, I'm pregnant. It's a baby boy. I learned so from some doctor named Dr. Forearm. Forearm means warning, doesn't it? Dr. Forearm wasn't something of the Mist, that I can be sure of. Dr. Forearm told me that I bear the son of Poseidon, that our son will not live a pure and happy life. She also said that we have sealed our son's fate that, if I'm not responsible enough, he will die before his sixteenth birthday. _

_Don't bother trying to consult me and change my mind, I know what I heard. This has to do with your pact, doesn't it? Now, oh gods. Poseidon, what can we do? I don't want to have to watch my child grow up, knowing that they will die before they're 16 if they're not careful enough._

_I do have one request, actually. When the boy is born, I want you to come and visit, come and see your son. Waiver off Zeus' crappy excuse of the gods must stay out of their child's life. It's just at the boy's birth, can you give us that much? I want my son knowing that his father had seen him. Can you do that much, Poseidon?_

_I've burdened you with so much drama, I apologize. It's just that I'm confused. I don't know what to do. If my parents were alive, I would ask them for help. But I can't. I'm by myself. Yes, I could have been with you, but this is by my choice, not yours. Don't beat yourself up for my actions. _

_I love you Poseidon, no matter what._

_Love, _

_Sally J._

* * *

Down below the waterline, Poseidon read the letter not too long after Sally had left in the water. He smiled grimly, while Amphitrite watched jealously. She couldn't stand it. It was just a mortal! Someone who'd be long gone dead soon. Why couldn't Poseidon get it through his thick headed, seaweed clumped head?

Then, she noticed his face break out into a wide grin. He looked positively happy. The god of the Seas jumped from his throne, and hugged Amphitrite, not noticing her stiff posture. When he broke away from her, she raised an eyebrow, asking him what his reason for doing so was.

"I'm a father!" he spoke with glee. "A boy!"

He whooped and jumped with joy, and left the throne room, cheering like he had just won the lottery. Soon, sea creatures were whooping with him, but only two stayed away.

"A boy?" Triton spoke, his eyes narrowed. **(1)**

His mother nodded curtly. "You'd think that pact would have made the idiot listen, but nooo. He just had to hook up with another mortal. I'm starting to think he doesn't love me anymore."

"Mother, that's foolish thinking."

"My boy, 'tis not. You see how happy he is? He wasn't like this when I had you."

"Really?"

"Yes, my son. Somehow, this pathetic mortal is causing him to be much happier than I've ever seen him."

Triton was shocked. His own father wasn't acting this peculiar when he was born? Ridiculous! Triton felt a strong, sudden resentment towards his foolish father.

"What is the boy's name?"

"I do not know yet."

"Mother, I promise you, when I meet this boy, I will make Father suffer for behaving like this. We should be treated this way, not someone who hasn't even started living yet."

Amphitrite shook her head. "Bold thoughts, boy, but no. Your father will not approve of it."

"Mother-"

"No."

Triton nodded, watching the ocean fall into a disgraceful dance of joy.

* * *

Sally walked through the doors nervously. She had forgotten a huge risk when she told Mary that she was pregnant- Mary would gossip about it. What would her coworkers think of her? At work, everyone knew Sally was romantically involved with someone, but pregnant?

The elevators dinged, and she walked out, freezing the minute everyone noticed her. She stared at them nervously, waiting for the string of insults to come out. Instead, she got congratulations; handshakes, warm smiles, and a promise to support her. She felt a smile break across her face.

She may have lost Poseidon a few weeks ago, but she felt like she had earned something in return- a homely feeling of her place at work.

* * *

**(1) In the original chapter, I wrote his name as Tristan, before I was corrected that his real name is Triton.**

**I don't think it's too hard to tell, but anyone want to take a chance on guessing who Nancy's baby is going to be named? Here's some [MAJOR] hints: Nancy's baby is the same age as Percy and appears in the Lightning Thief book, but not the movie.**

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	5. Chapter 5: Nancy and Mary

******To all those who added this story to their alerts/favs or added me to their author alerts/favs**: _xSilverTeardropx3; liliesandroses; jahfreenalam; ();Vampireaddict98; twinkletoes1718; waterpoloplayer ();CoolWater123; general zargon; LoveTheNight; MegamanSora; Goddess of Discord and Cookies; NoraHalliwell; ilovethesonshine; ARedRose4Me; Bookworm213; xx Annabella Princess xx; DiamondDragonFang-Pertemis; canislupis13;__ xXPercidiaJacksonXx; nbf4eva; Yume Li; Twilightgirl123456; LoveAngel91; McKenzie8463; ka137; ARedRose4Me; OXOXPoisoned-AngelXOXO; BeautyandtheBeast101575; aliceandjasper; SilverLily1; Wednesday Grimm; speedyteeny_

**A shout out to **_jahfreenalam_**, who guessed that the baby was Nancy Bobofit, who got it 19 minutes after I posted the chapter; and more shout outs to those that also guessed correctly on Nancy being the baby: **_DiamondDragonFang-Pertemis; ARedRose4Me; ilovethesonshine; LoveTheNight; twinkletoes1718; speedyteeny_

* * *

**I know, I know. It's been such a long time since I last updated. But no worries, I'm back, and I think I found my writing pen again. **

**Anyway, couple of things to get cleared off my chest:**

**1. the number of reviews for the last chapter? I couldn't believe it! Thank you so much! It really warms my heart, even if you just leave something like "good job". It tells me that there actually are people who like my writing.**

**2. I am a complete stranger when it comes to pregnancies, so please, bear with me. I only wrote from the little knowledge I know.**

**3. this chapter is slightly darker than my other ones, seeing as it talks about Sally in high school. I think it may be a bit too OOC, but then again, she was in high school back then. We all do weird things in high school, right?**

**I hate really long ANs, so, enjoy!**

* * *

_Dear Poseidon_

Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.

* * *

"Congratulations, Ms. Jackson, you have a baby boy." Sally Jackson, four and a half months pregnant, rolled her eyes as the nurses around her gushed. She knew from the strange Dr. Forearm that she was pregnant with a son, but she felt that she _had to_ check with more… normal citizens. Mythological beings don't exactly bring much comfort to a mortal's state of mind, especially if that specific mortal can see creatures that should only belong in thick, dusty textbooks _and_ is carrying the offspring of a Greek god.

_Poseidon_. Sally sighed. It's been four months since she last contacted him; four months since he knew anything of his son. He didn't even know anything about that encounter with the Forearm doctor. She'll tell him in the next letter, she told herself. He is, after all, a god. He would know about Forearm, right?

Somehow, despite her desperate need, she felt a slight tingling in the back of her mind; her conscious told her that most likely, he wouldn't. Why would that be?

Either way, the boy she was carrying would always be hers, no matter what. No Greek mythological being could take him away from her, no one. Not even Poseidon. She just hoped that he would grow up in a far better life than her, so that he would know and enjoy the beauties of life and cherish it, not despise it like as if it was a curse. Now, Sally didn't feel like it was a curse. She was given a baby boy, and she will love him, feed him, care for him, and be there for him, just like what her parents used to do, before she, apparently, "grew up".

Deep down, Sally harbored negative feelings for her parents, Jim and Laura Jackson. Until she was 15 years old, her parents would drop anything for the sake of keeping her safe. They loved her dearly, and she did too in return. Even now, she still loves them. But she could never forgive them for what they did: leaving her.

Eight years later, Sally Jackson remembers every single second of that day in bright and clear detail. When she asked if he knew why, Poseidon simply replied, "You can see through the Mist. You see and remember clearly."

Then again, she is 23 years old, unknown of the world around her, and he has a couple millennia's worth of knowledge on her.

_Quite the stretch, no?_ She thought wirily. _Hey, age is nothing but a number_.

And being abandoned in a terrible situation is nothing but adversity.

_Finally! Sally Jackson was 15 years old, old enough to hang out with the cool kids, known as the Hot Pack. Her best friend Rebecca is with them all the time, and like her, Sally wanted to be a "swagger" like them. They were looked at for the latest trends, gripping suave words, and looks. They were perfect, in school or activities, or whatever. Every kid at their school wanted to be just like them. Even more, every kid at their school wanted to be one of them. Simply being within a five- feet radius was amazing. To join them would mean that you'd be a part of the hottest clique in town, and instant popularity. Sally was quite popular by herself, but she couldn't help but feel intimidated by their power, not to mention the fact that she had a huge crush on the hottest boy, Darrin._

_On the night of her birthday, the group invited her to a birthday party they had set up for her. Rebecca had told them of Sally's "coming of age", and they had agreed to welcome her in with open arms, after all, she was an attractive teenager that caught the eye of many boys in the crowd. The minute she showed up, she was showered with multiple gifts and congratulations, even a few phone numbers that she discarded later. Her first night as a member of the Hot Pack went fabulously, but there was a dark catch seeping through every single one of the party-goers: the punch was spiked. _

_As the clocked inched closer to the stroke of midnight, Sally was cornered by Darrin. His breath carried a certain odor, but she was too awestruck by the fact that he was talking to her that when he grabbed her, she acted accordingly, not even paying attention to what was happening._

_When Sally Jackson woke in the morning, she was horrified. What did she do? She was in someone's room, and her clothes were scattered all across the floor. Next to her, Darrin was sleeping peacefully, his back bare. She was a smart girl; it didn't take long for her to piece two and two together. _

_Sally dressed quickly, and ran home, not caring about whose body she stepped on in her rush to get out and away. The minute she got home, her parents rounded in on her. They demanded to know where she was, and, being the- usually- good girl that she is, Sally told them. To her utter horror, they were ecstatic. They were glad Darrin forced himself into- into her. Right after that, her own father, her idol all these years, went to congratulate Darrin for popping his daughter's cherry, and even dared to have the audacity to pay the sick kid! _

_On the day when Sally had to return to school after her birthday party, she felt so embarrassed. Parents are supposed to stick up for their kids, not be proud that their only child- a teenage girl, that is- had lost their virginity to a complete stranger. The Hot Pack was thrilled with this as well, and by lunchtime, poor Sally was being offered open beds, tiny, scandalous clothing, and "free time". _

_It was the worst mistake of her life, she believed. _

Sally remembered Poseidon's expression when she told him this. At the time, she was inwardly kicking herself, asking why she was telling him. It felt right at the time. In a way, she was glad Poseidon knew. She hated keeping secrets from people, especially people she really cared about.

Of course, though, being the all-powerful mythological god that he is, Poseidon decided to beat the crap out of Darrin, a cashier at a local grocery store who was loved by everyone. It went straight to the news- how a strange man appeared out of nowhere and brutally assaulted the people's favorite cashier without a second thought. Even to this day, no one knew who would "do such a thing", as the grocery's boss tearfully put it.

She remembered telling Poseidon off for recklessly attacking an innocent man- though inside she was thrilled that the cretin had that happen; he deserved it- and she remembered Poseidon's simple argument to her scolding:

"He deserved it."

"I know, but still, you shouldn't-"

"-Have done it? I agree."

"So then-"

"Because I love you." And he kissed her. A short, sweet kiss. Just like he was.

Sally sighed. Usually normal people fell in love with normal people, normal humans. Not someone who is typically thought of as a myth. Not someone whose life requires them to live deep down, undersea. Nonetheless, she'd always love him, just like he'd always love her, and like how she'd always love her unborn baby boy.

Nothing could stop that; nothing. A mother's love between mother and child is always the strongest bond. No one could break it. Sally Jackson was determined about that.

* * *

Later, at her fifth month of the pregnancy, Sally decided to find a new place to stay. It was getting ridiculous, she concluded, to live in a place of such low conditions when you were pregnant. After all, a couple doors down from hers, there resided a group of teenagers who smoke weed. Next to them was a man in his late 50s or early 60s who, oddly, felt very paranoid all the time and had a gun at every nook and cranny. Sally suspected he used some type of drug, such a meth or something, but whenever she was near him, he reeked of the most awful stench one could possibly imagine. Right next door to Sally's place contained a schoolteacher who constantly brought home men, and often times some of those men would get the address wrong, so Sally would have to deal with half to fully drunk sexist men looking for a "fun, good time". It reminded her so much of her time in high school; the idea repulsed her so much.

But as a pregnant woman, Sally knew that she had to be more alert. One danger can lead to disastrous consequences for her, or, even worse, the baby. Luckily, she had the backup support from her coworkers, so she wasn't entirely alone. Mary even volunteered to take a day off to go looking for a decent place with Sally.

Mary wasn't that bad of a person, Sally decided. Sure, she was a tremendous gossiper, but if you really got to know her, she actually had a heart full of gold. She listened to you if you really needed someone to listen, gave useful tips and advice, had a wardrobe full of pregnant women clothing, and her –used-to-be-fiancé-but-now-husband could cook the most fabulous foods that young Ms. Jackson had ever tasted. Out of their whole building, Sally was closest with Mary, which made sense, seeing as Mary was getting closer to her due date than Sally was.

"So, I was thinking," Mary started as they got into her small BMW convertible. "Who is the father? I mean, I know this is really rude of me, but still. I'm extremely curious, Sal- you always seem to steer clear of the mystery man."

Sally smiled and shook her head softly. "Sorry, Mary, but we've been through this. I don't really like talking about him."

After all, how could she? It's not like she could just say; "Well, you see, my lover is the Greek god of the Seas, Poseidon. That myth? It actually exists! And there are monsters that roam this city like crazy, and I can see all of them! I'm special like that." Yeah, like that's _so_ believable.

"I figured as much. You must be so much in love with the guy to not tell me. Man, if your kid grows up to be like you, I feel sorry for your man." The two moms cracked a smile at that.

One half hour later, they stopped at a couple of places, some townhouses, some apartments. Luckily for Sally, Mary's husband was a real estate agent, and because of her friendship with his wife, Sally didn't have to pay him a full agent fee.

"Just think of it as a supporting hand." He told her, when she argued about paying him fully. "It's not like skipping out some moola is going to hurt us much."

So when Sally finally got a cute, but tidy apartment in the heart of Manhattan Island, she was beyond happiness. It was big enough to raise a kid in, and stay there for an even longer time. Mary was gushing how perfect it was to their coworkers, and it took Sally all of her willpower to run and hide from the embarrassment. Even the boss was glad.

"Well, it was high time you moved out of that dump you called a place." He joked, but the relief shone in his eyes. He, like everyone else, was concerned about her living conditions. That place was often in the area where a lot of gang activity happened. Moving to a place in the city would ease everything out. She'd be at quick and easy access to wherever, not out of the way like her original place.

And, even though she didn't admit it, she was glad, too.

* * *

It was a sunny, April Fool's Day where Sally and Mary were chatting and having a good time at good ol' Starbucks. Sally had chastised Mary for drinking caffeine when she was due in a week's time, but Mary waved her off good-naturally.

"Relax, Sal." She told her. "My kid's just about done forming. If she ends up anything like me, then so be it."

"Speaking of kids… what are you two going to name her?" Sally asked. She couldn't help it; she was curious. She was at five and a half months now, but she still didn't know what to name her boy. Maybe Poseidon would know… oh, GODS. She hadn't written Poseidon in so long; surely he'd be mad at her. What kind of person was she? Sally hated herself right now. She felt terrible.

Mary contemplated for a bit. "Honestly, Sal, I don't know. I was thinking more of a name like Clarisse or Silena, but my hubby's leaning closer to Nancy for our baby girl. What do you think?"

"Wha-what? Mary, why are you asking me?" Sally was surprised.

"Sal, you're my friend. I'd like to hear your opinion. I mean, this is important. I don't want to have a kid named something stupid like Strawberry Shortcut."

"Shortcake."

"Whatever."

Sally didn't realize that Mary liked her that much that her name preference had to be brought in as well. She should have no say in it, but she did.

"Mary, just name her whatever you feel is right. If you think it's right, then it'll be right."

Mary smiled. Her friend was so smart. Whoever her boy-toy was, he was one lucky man.

As she was finishing up the remnants of the coffee in her cup, Mary felt a strong pain. She's never felt it before, and another followed. Sally's eyes widened, and both women didn't need to talk. Within a minute, Mary and Sally gathered their stuff, and Sally grabbed some napkins to clean up the mess Mary was leaving behind.

"Sorry, she's delivering." Sally told a horrified register girl. The girl nodded mutely, mostly from shock. Sally didn't blame her- if a women's water broke while Sally was at work, Sally wouldn't know what to do either.

Mary climbed into the car awkwardly, and Sally got behind the wheel. She drove to the hospital as fast as she could- without being caught by the cops for speeding- and handed Mary off to the nurses nearby. They took one look at Mary and immediately understand what to do. Sally gave them the contact information to call Mary's husband and waited in the waiting area.

The next few hours were a blur. After Mary gave birth, her parents showed up, held their granddaughter- who, to their delight, was named Nancy- and Sally also got to meet her friend's baby. Sally remembered crooning over the adorable Nancy, how her tiny fingers would clasp around Sally's finger. Babies are so cute, she concluded, hoping the same happy time would happen to her when she had to deliver.

All she hoped for was for Poseidon to be there when she delivered. That way, her baby would know his father, even if his father was away.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she watched, from outside of the room, as Mary's family gushed over Nancy.

* * *

When she got home, she took out a pen and a piece of paper. Smiling softly, she began to write, informing Poseidon of what has happened to her since her last letter.

_Dear Poseidon,_

_I don't know if you remembered, but today's April Fools. Don't worry, this isn't a joke letter. I wouldn't do that to you. What I would do to you, however, is tell you about a new friend I've made. Her name is Mary, and she works with me at Disney Hyperion Book Publishing Co. Like me, she's pregnant. Unlike me, she delivered today._

_Oh, Poseidon, you should have seen it- the happiness on her face, on the faces surrounding her. It looked so peaceful, so surreal. I know I shouldn't be one to brag or get jealous of, but I can't help it. I can't help watching them, knowing that I want this kind of thing could happen to me. My parents are already dead- thank god for that plane crash- and I have no other relatives. All I have left is you, and when I give birth to our boy, I really wish that you can be there. I want you to see your child. I want your child to see and know you, even if he wouldn't. _

_I really shouldn't tell you about my friend giving birth; it'd be a waste of paper. Allow me to inform you that I have moved into a new place. Yes, really. I grew sick of that horrid building, and it most definitely isn't an environment that will be safe for a pregnant woman. As of that, I have moved into a quaint, yet cute apartment in the heart of Manhattan Island. Truthfully, I love it here. Everywhere is in such a close and easy convenience for me. It's no longer a long drive (or walk) away. _

_Have I mention yet the changes in my work? The boss has been going fairly easy on my workload- apparently when his wife was pregnant for the first time, her boss went simple on her too. Thank you boss that his wife worked for. In fact, boss has actually been relatively nice to me. I wonder why, but oh well. Everyone at work has been so supportive, giving me advice on what to do or such. In a way, I'm quite glad that Mary gossiped to them that I was pregnant. I'd rather have them know that I'm pregnant than have them think that I've begun to turn fat, which I know for a very sure fact that I'm not. _

_I'm terribly sorry that I haven't written to you in such a long time; I've been rather busy, as I'm sure you've assumed by now. I do hope you forgive me. I don't think that having you angry at me would go well. Of course, I wouldn't know, seeing as you've never been mad at me, or to my knowing. _

_Whenever it shall be when I see you again, just know that I will always, no matter what, love you Poseidon._

_Love, _

_Sally Jackson_

* * *

This time, when the letter came across the ocean's surface, it sunk down to the bottom, as if the piece of paper knew who it was to be sent to. Before Poseidon knew it, it brushed his finger, and he looked down, surprised.

"Wha-?"

Delphinus chirped from Poseidon's side. _For you, my lord._

Ah. Sally.

"Thank you." Poseidon replied. His eager fingers reached out and grasped the envelope. He quickly tore through and began to read, his eyes absorbing every single word.

As usual, Amphitrite stiffened. _Her again_. She was so hoping that the mortal would have forgotten Poseidon. Poseidon had become rather moody during the long period of time. Amphitrite enjoyed it immensely. It meant that the sea god would spend more time and attention to her, not moping about around a silly human. Behind her, Triton swam in.

"Mother?" he bowed. "What's got Father in such a twist?"

Amphitrite said nothing, but jerked her head at the letter in Poseidon's hands. Triton's eyes grew cold as he spotted it.

"I thought the mortal gave up on him?"

"I thought so too, son. But it seems unlikely." Her voice was tight, anger wound up behind it.

"Why must he fall for mortal women? Why not you?" Triton asked.

"Why must he? I do not know. Perhaps, being the immortal fool he is, he has forgotten that I am to be his wife forever."

Triton nodded his head eagerly. That must be it.

Amphitrite sighed. "My lord," she announced. "I will be in my chambers."

Poseidon didn't look up; he just waved her off. Amphitrite's face grew purple with rage. He! How _dare_ he! How _dare_ he just brush her off, with absolutely no care by doing so! She wanted to scream. Triton grabbed his spear, but one look from his furious mother stopped him.

Curse Father. Curse him.

And so mother and son left their god, steam almost blowing out of their ears.

Poseidon, on the other hand, was glad that Sally wrote to him. When he looked up, he saw an absence of two. "Delphinus." He called.

The god of dolphins swam forth. _Yes, lord?_

"Where did the Lady Amphitrite and Triton go? I do not see their presence."

_They left, sire. The lady has retired into her chambers, and her son followed. You said it was okay for them to do so. _

"Ah, okay, thank you." To tell the truth, Poseidon remembered absolutely nothing of this. He remembered some annoying buzzing sound –like pesky bees? - but he didn't remember giving Amphitrite permission to leave the council. Oh, well.

* * *

**Well... you know the drill. Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism, suggestions, and ideas are appreciated.**

**DiamondintheDark**

**(formerly Alidei)**


	6. Chapter 6: Perseus Jackson

**To all those who added this story to their alerts/favs or added me to their author alerts/favs: **_I-love-reading-the-cullens; xXAwesomeSauceXx; Apol31; TwIx27; DiamondDragonFang-Pertemis; bookloverPJTW; KahlanCaraElizabeth; filmyfurry; TMI; JelloCow; minite; Faycee623; LoveTheNight; xxxxEPICxxxx; alexandriarulzforeva; Bookworm;becky199756; liliesandroses; aemroxs; xXPercidiaJacksonXx; ncalkins; Bethy123; slioe; BostonGirl2012; jahfreenalam; luke'sgirlforever; AllieMcD; kiwi1231_

**Enjoy! **

**DiamondintheDark**

* * *

_Dear Poseidon_

Sally Jackson has always loved Poseidon. Even when they parted, even when she gave birth to Percy, even when she married Gabe. She's never lost touch of Poseidon, either. Read her letters to the sea god about life, work, Percy, and her love.

* * *

Chapter Five

Had Sally had enough time to actually sit down and relax, she would've remembered that her due date was coming soon- well, it was today, actually, and she really shouldn't be doing such oddball things as taking a day off work to buy new silverware and cutlery with Mary. Mary and her husband were leaving in about one and a half weeks' time for a vacation, and she was absolutely frantic about baby Nancy.

"What if the sitter we chose doesn't do a good job? What if she can't control her? What if Nancy forgets her mommy and daddy? What if-"

"Mary," Sally intervened. "I'm sure that in the two weeks you and Dan will be gone, Nancy wouldn't forget who her parents are. Babies are quite smart, you know. Don't worry; Nancy will know exactly who her mother and father are." It was at times like this where Sally was quite glad her cool logic could come into play. Gods know Mary needed it.

But, of course, Sally didn't have enough time to chillax- as of late her boss had been on a short fuse temper- _probably some petty argument with his wife_, Sally thought- and no one had dared to cross his path. Sally and Mary considered themselves pretty lucky to take a "sick break" and not lose any important limbs. Other employees were not as fortunate.

So, because Sally did not remember when the exact date was- she was never that great when it came to numbers and dates- she most certainly did not expect it when halfway through the Martha Stewart kitchen collection store, she realized-

"STYX."

It was out before she could stop it.

On the other side of the shelf, Mary's head popped up above. "You okay, Sally?"

Sally shook her head. This was complete déjà vu, except this time, it was her whose water broke. She relayed her thoughts out to Mary, who spent no time zipping over to her side and carefully guiding her out of the store.

"Sorry," Mary shouted over her shoulder to the bewildered shop boy who was helping them. "Her water broke."

Sally's face flushed uncontrollably as the poor fellow- _how old was he, seventeen or so?_ Sally mused- blushed, his ears turning red. Usually, customers he helped thanked him and went on their way, not inform that they're water broke, 'cuz that's just… not cool. Boy, would his momma have a fit once she finds out! He shuffled awkwardly as he went to hold the door for the two ladies to pass, then ran away in a hurry once they were out.

On the other hand, Sally attempted to reprimand Mary for embarrassing her. Mary took no notice, simply waving her off.

"Oh, Sally, the boy's growing up. He needs to know what happens with women if he's ever to get a girl, don't you think? Now, just sit down and hold on, because I'm finally going to test this car's power. Try not to lose any bodily functions, will you? I'd hate to be the cause for some loss."

Sally slumped down in her seat. She knew just how lovely of a driver Mary was when it came to panic situations. She really hoped Mary had car insurance for sick passengers.

* * *

Twenty-five minutes later, Sally stammered out of the car, her legs jerking suddenly.

"That," she declared, "was one of the worst- I repeat, _the worst_- car rides I have ever been on. And I've been on a lot."

"Well, think of it as my special gift to you." Mary smiled, before shooing her off to the nurses nearby. As they were on the road, Mary had called the hospital to notify them of Sally's situation. How she managed to do that and drive at 90mphs- and still didn't get them killed- Sally will never know. All she knew was the bright lights, the doctors and nurses' voices ringing in her ears, and an unpredicted, horrid

PAIN.

She screamed and wailed. Gods, it hurts! Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she was praying that it would just stop.

"It's okay, it's okay Ms. Jackson; you'll be alright. Just keep calm, and don't forget to push, okay? Push."

For as long as she could count, Sally heard that one mantra repeat on and on and on and on and on. _Push_, she told herself. _Gods, just push! _

Hours later, a sweet sound pierced the stilled night.

A baby's single cry.

Finally.

Sally collapsed back onto the soft pillows that'd been placed for her comfort as the doctors and nurses left her room. She just did it. She just gave birth.

It was August 18, 1994- the day and year of her son's birth.

She couldn't believe it.

"I can't believe it." She mumbled into her pillow, feeling like a child. "I'm a parent, a mother."

"Neither can I." A new voice answered her.

She looked up from the pillow. There, standing in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian flower-print shirt, was the god of the seas, Poseidon. Sally felt a smile growing. Before she knew what was happening, his clear, ocean scent hit her nose. She inhaled, feeling him hugging her back tightly.

"Poseidon."

"Sally."

They broke apart. She studied his face, as he studied hers.

"What are you doing here?" Secretly, she hoped it was because of her.

Poseidon smiled and laughed. "To see you, of course."

She grinned.

"So, how's the baby?" he attempted to ask subtlety.

"He's doing well, are you going to stay to see him?"

Poseidon feigned hurt. "Why, of course, Ms. Jackson. Unless you'd rather have me leave… then I suppose I best be going. No reason to anger a lady when you're not needed, eh?"

He knew she knew he was just pushing her buttons, but he hid his chuckle as he "casually" strolled out the open doorway and whistled. He pretended to not have heard her until she fell back into the bed, grumbling. He grinned impishly, like a child, and took a few strides until he was at her bedside again. Normally, he wouldn't act like this. This behavior was new to him. Then again, anything that Sally did or anything that involved her would bring new things to him. He never knew tacos tasted so... _stale_.

Sally grumbled some more, crossing her arms and looking away from him, though she was strongly tempted to look at her lover's handsome face.

"What's that, Ms. Jackson?" Poseidon asked, leaning over the bedrail.

Sally looked at him, his very amused face.

"Shut up and kiss me you dolt."

Very willingly, he did just so, grinning the whole time. Finally, after all this time, he could be with her again. For a time period, but he didn't care. They had all the time in the world.

…

Until some idiot nurse interrupted. "Oh! Uh… Ms. Jackson?"

Poseidon- to Sally's shock- cursed quietly as she giggled softly. "Yes?"

The nurse held out a blue bundle. "Your son."

Poseidon drew in a take of breath. This was it. His son. Sally held her hands out.

"Be careful; he's sleeping." The nurse warned. All she got was a nod in reply and a motion to leave. That she did.

"Oh…" Sally cooed. In her hands, wrapped up in a blue bundle, was a baby boy. Her baby boy. Poseidon rested his head on Sally's shoulder so he could get a better look.

"So that's our son."

Sally nodded. "That's our son."

Their son had tousled black hair on his forehead and tiny black eyebrows. In a way, Poseidon thought, he looked like him.

"Can I…?"

"Of course." She gave the sleeping baby to him, and watched transfixed as her lover carefully, gingerly, held the bundle wrapped in his hands.

"What should we name him?" he asked.

Sally didn't bother wasting a second to reply. She'd come up with the name long ago. "Perseus."

Poseidon looked up. "Perseus?" His brow knitted in confusion.

She nodded. "Perseus."

"Why… Perseus? That was the name of one of Zeus' kids."

Sally nodded again. "I know, I know. Yes, that was indeed the name of one of Zeus' kids, but he was one of the few heroes to ever have a happy ending. I want our son to have that. I don't want him living as a lonely old hermit in an abandoned building complex like me. I want him to have a bright future, despite obstacles thrown at him."

Poseidon looked up. "Even if being a son of the Big Three will complicate his life a whole lot more than as another demigod?" _Even if I have brought forward his doom by being a criminal in love? _

"Yes, even if his life will be a thousand times worse." There was an odd edge to Sally's voice, like as if she was already planning something, but Poseidon didn't push it. He held up his pride and joy.

"Perseus Jackson."

Then, as if he had forgotten, he raised his son up into the air once more- he had brought him down right after he finished officially naming him- and said:

"Oh, by the way, welcome to the 20th century."

"Poseidon!" Sally scolded him half-heartedly.

"What? It had to be done. I have to warn the little guy about his upcoming drama. Hopefully he'll know that girls do have cooties, never listen to your teacher- unless he has four legs- and aim to please- wait, no, that came out wrong- aim to annoy any child of Athena, and-"

"Poseidon!"

Poseidon broke his speech. "Yeah?"

Sally contemplated whether or not to tell him off, but figured he'd end up doing it all over again. So instead, she kissed him.

"And," Poseidon pronounced happily. "His mom is the best kisser in the world, never listen to Amphitrite, riding on dolphins is a challenge- especially if you're trying to surf on them- the Big Apple is never too big, become the smartest tool in the shed- depending on the size of the shed- always make sure to tie your shoes so that-"

Sally rolled her eyes and shook her head. Best not to stop Poseidon from his ecstatic, pointless rant of attempting to educate his newly born son. Well, not now, at least.

* * *

**The ending was kind of weird, but Poseidon's in a happy mood. Who could blame him?**

**Let me just say that I know nothing much when it comes to pregnancies, so everything here is based up on whatever I could think of. I didn't want to go into too much detail. **

**Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Let me know!**

**Thx!**

**DiamondintheDark**


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